Car- coupling



2 sheets sheet 1.

P. BREKKE.

GAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

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we 00., Pnu'ro-umo., WASHINGTON n c 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. BREKKE. GAR COUPLING.

No. 453,611. Patented June 9,1891.

Unirnn STATES PATENT OFFicE.

PETER BREKKE, OF \VORCESTER, MASSAUIIUSE'FS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,611, dated June 9, 1891.

Application filed February '7, 1891. Serial No. 380,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER BREKKE, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Forcester, in the county of orcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Ilead Car- Gouplin gs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved car'conpling. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view. Fig. 4c is a sectional view on line X X, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line Y Y, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line Z Z, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 represents a front View of one-half of the rotating shell. Fig. 8 represents a sectional view of the same, taken on line X X, Fig. 3, and showing the inside of the shell. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of the pawl carried upon the face of the rotating shell by which the link is raised. Fig. 10 is a detached and perspective View of the T-shaped sliding bar by which the link is raised. Fig. 11 is a top View of the U-shaped spring-clamp by which the two halves of the shell are held together at the top 5 and Fig. 12 represents an end view of a car having my improved car-couplin g applied thereto, and showing the operating mechanism by which the coupling is operated from the side or top of the car.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

My present invention consists in applying to a draw-bar adapted to receive a coupling link and retaining-pin of a rotating head, by which the operation of uncoupling cars can be performed at the top or side of the cars without requiring that the brakeman should pass between the cars, and by which the operation of coupling can be automatically performed as the cars are brought together.

I have termed the car-coupling embodying my invention the rotary head car-coupling, as expressive of its peculiarities of construction and operation, consisting of a rotating head inclosing the draw-bar, and by which the operation of coupling and uncoupling is effected.

Referring to the drawings, the broken line A, Fig. 1, represents the front line of the car.

13 denotes the draw-bar, which is connected with the car in any of the well-known methods now in use. The end of the draw-bar B is provided with the flaring mo uth or opening B, in which the end of the coupling-link B is received. The retaining-pin B is rectangular in shape, and is capable of a vertical sliding motion in the hole 13*, and is provided with the transverse pin B The draw-bar is provided upon its upper side with a wingshaped projection 13, having a groove B in which the pin B slides, and communicating with the groove 13* are the slots B 13 through which the ends of the pin project. At the rear of the opening B the draw-bar is pro vidcd with a vertical mortise C to receive the sliding pin O, provided on its front side with the cam projection 0 .Tournaled upon the draw-bar is a shell or case D, formed in two halves divided at D. The two halves of the shell D are united at the bottom by the interlocking lugs D D, and at the top they are provided with the lugs D D, which are held together by the U -shaped elastic clamping-bar D (represented in top view in Fig. 11,) the opening be tween the ends of the bar being slightly contracted, causing the clampingbar when forced upon the lugs D" to be held in position. The central section of the shell D consists of a concentric cylindrical chamber D, upon either side of which are the cams D arranged as the shell is rotated in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 4, to engage the ends of the pin D and raise the retainingpin B, thereby releasing the link.

The cylindrical shell D is provided with a hub D having its central section provided with an annular groove D" to receive the tongue 0 of the sliding pin 0. Within the annular groove D is acam-surfaee D which, as the shell D is rotated in the direction of the arrow 1, Figs. at and 5, is brought in contact with the tongue G of the pin C, pushing the pin 0 downward, so that its lower end C will project below the draw-bar 13 and be brought into the path of the shoulder D thereby checking the rotation of the shell D. This rotation of the shell D, which is equal to three-quarters of a complete. revolution, serves to bring the cam D beneath the ends of the pin B, thereby raising the retainingpin 13 and releasing the link. The ends of the pin 13 will then be held upon the tip D Fig. 4, of the cam D and the shell and cam will be held from farther rotation in the direction of the arrow 1 by the engagement of the lower end 0 of the pin 0 against the shoulder D, Fig. 6. The lower side of the shell D is weighted at D so that when the shell has been rotated threequarters of a revolution in the direction of the arrow 1 the weighted side will be brought in the same horizontal plane as the axis of the shell and will act to cause the revolution of the shell to be completed in the direction of the arrow 1 as soon as the sliding pin 0' .is disengaged from the shoulder D. This disengagement of the pin C from the shoulder D is effected by the entrance of the link 13 within the flaring mouth B of the draw-bar, the advancing end of the link striking against the cam-surface 0 and raising the bar 0, whereupon the weighted section D will fall into the position shown in Fig. 4, causing the shell D to turn through one-fourth of a revolution, moving the cam D from beneath the pin B allowing the retaining-pin B to fall by its own gravity through the link B This downward movement of the pin B by means of its own weight is rendered certain by means of the cam-surface D which is carried over the pin 13 by the continued rotation of the shell D.

The hub D is provided with the teeth D arranged to engage the links of a chain in the usual and well-known manner of constructin g sprocket-wheels. Similar sprocket-wheels E E are mounted upon studs in suitable position to be reached at the sides of the car and in substantially the same horizontal plane as the draw-bar, and a similar sprocket-wheel E is mounted in like manner at the top of the car. An endless chain F passes over the hub D beneath the twosprocket-wheels E E and over the sprocket-wheel E. Each of the sprocket-wheels E E and E are provided with hand-wheels G, by which either of the sprocket-wheels can be rotated, causing the correspondin g rotation of the shell D through threequarters of a revolution in the operation of uncoupling the car.

The normal position of the several parts when the car is coupled is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the operation of uncoupling the car is as follows: By means of either of the hand-Wheels G and connected sprocket-wheels and chain F the-shell D is turned three-quarters of a revolution in the direction of the arrow 1, carrying the cams D beneath the ends of the pin D raising the pin B and releasing the link B at the same time carrying the cam D over the tongue 0 apd forcing the pin 0 downward, so that its lower end 0* will project below the draw-bar B and be engaged by the shoulder D,thereby checking the rotation of the shell D and bringing the weighted side D into the same horizontal plane as the axis of the shell, so that the gravity of the weighted side will serve to complete the rotation of the shell upon its release by the pin 0. lVhen; ever a link is forced into the draw-bar by an approaching car, the advancing end of the link, striking against the cam-surface 0 upon the pin 0, will cause the pin 0 to be raised,

releasing the shell D and allowing the weighted side D to fall into its normal position, as represented in Fig. 4, completing the rotation of the shell and causing the pin B to fall through the link, again coupling the car. In order to raise the free end of the link B as held in the draw-bar by the pin B in order to allow the link to enter within the mouth of an opposing draw-bar, I employa sliding T- shaped bar H, (represented in Fig. 10,) the straight portion of the bar sliding through a mortise in the draw-bar and the cross-bar I-I being brought beneath the link B The bar H is bent at H and 1-1 in order to leave an open space H, Fig. 3, between the bar and the face of the shell D. One-half of the shell D (represented in Fig. '7) is provided with a hole I, and the inner side of the shell is provided with a semicircular recess I to receive the prong J, extending from the stud J upon the under side of the pawl J The pawl, after its stud J and spur J have been inserted through the hole I, is turned one-half a revolution, bringing the pawl J into the position represented in Fig. 2, with the spur J resting against the side of the chamber 1. If the shell D is rotated in the direction of the arrow 2, the tip of the pawl J 2 will be carried beneath the bent end H of the bar H, raising the bar and bringing the cross-piece II against the link B thereby raising the free end of the link. As soon as the free end of the link has entered the opposing draw-bar the shell D is released, and the weighted side D Will cause the shell to assume its normal position, as represented in Fig. 2. When the shell D is rotated in the direction of the arrow 1 for the purpose of uncoupling the car, the pointed end J will enter the open space H between the sliding bar and the face of the shell,the tip J of the pawl being slightly raised as it passes through the opening I-I without raising the bar II.

My improved mechanism for uncoupling cars, as herein described, includes the use of the ordinary link now used in coupling and the retaining-pin, together with the flaringmouthed draw-bar connected with the car in the usual and well-known manner, and the uncoupling or drawing of the link-pin is effected by the action of the rotating cam, preferably journaled upon the draw-bar itself, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. I do not confine myself, however, to the precise construction and arrangement of the several parts composing my improved coupling mech anism; neither does the use of a rotating cani depend in its operation upon the specific construction shown of the latching mechanism, by which the rotation of the cam is checked and released. One half of the shell D is provided upon one side with a projecting 1ugD provided with a notch a, and the opposite half of the shell D is provided with a lug having a spur arranged to enter the notch a and lock the two halves of the shell together upon. their lower sides.

The elastic bent bar D represented in Fig. 11 is employed to clamp the two halves of the shell together at their upper side by inclosing the lugs D"; but I do not confine myself to any particular method of attaching the two halves of the shell together.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receivealink, of a link-pin held in said draw-bar and arranged to engage said link, and a rotating head consisting of a shell provided with a cam, by which said pin is raised to disengage the link, substantially as de scribed.

2. The combination of a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, a pin held in said draw-bar, a rotating cam turning about said draw-bar and engaging said pin to raise the same, and guides extending from said draw-bar to guide said pin as it is raised by said cam, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, of a pin sliding in said draw-bar and engaging the link, a pin held in said link-pin and transversely thereto, and a cam rotating about said draw-bar and engaging said transverse pin to raise said link-pin, substantially as described. H

4. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive alink, of a link-pin held in said drawbar, and a cam rotatingaro undsaid drawbar and engaging said link-pin to raise the same, said cam being weighted upon one side to hold it in position, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, of a rotating head comprising a shell having a cam-surface by which the link-pin is raised by a partial rotation of said head, and having a cam-surface by which the link-pin is lowered to engage the link as the rotation of said head is completed,and a linlepin held in said draw-bar and operated by said cams, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, a slidinglink-pin by which the link is engaged, and a cam rotating around said draw-bar, by which saidlink-pin is raised to disengage the link, said rotating cam having a projecting shoulder, of a sliding latch pin held in said draw-bar and arranged to engage said projecting shoulder and check the rotation of the pin-lifting-cain when the linkpin is raised, substantially as described.

7 The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, and a sliding link-pin held in said draw-bar, of a rotating head consisting of a shoulder provided with a camsurface by which said link-pin is raised, a projecting shoulder to be engaged by a sliding latch'pin, and a can1-surface by which said sliding latch-pin is pushed into the path of said projecting shoulder, and a sliding latchpin held in said draw-bar, by which the rotation of said shell is checked when the linkpin is raised, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a d raw-bar adapted to receive a link, and a sliding link-pin held in said draw-bar, of a rotating shell provided with a cam-surface by which said linkpin is raised, a projecting shoulder to be engaged by a sliding latch'pin, a cam-surface actuating said latch-pin, and a sliding latch-pin held in said draw-bar, whereby the rotation of said shell is checked when the link-pin is raised, said rotating shell being provided with a weighted side, by which the rotation of the shell is completed when the latch-pin is disengaged, substantially as described.

9. The combination,with a draw-baradapted to receive a link and carrying a sliding link-pin, ot a rotatin shell having a cam-surface by which. said link-pin is raised, a sliding latch-p in held. in said draw-bar and arranged to engage said rotating shell for the purpose of checking its rotation when the link-pin is raised, said sliding latch-pin being provided with a projecting cam-gurface arranged to be struck by a link entering said draw-bar, whereby said latch-pin is 'aised and the rotating shell disengaged, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, of a sliding link-pin held in said draw-bar, a rotating cam rotating aboutsaid draw bar and engaging said link-pin for the purpose of raising the same and disengaging the link, a sprocket-wheel attached to said rotating cain, corresponding sprocket wheels journaled at the sides and top of the ear, and a flexible connection between said sprocket-wheel attached to said rotating cam and the sprocket-wheels at the sides and top of the ear, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, and a link-pin held in said draw-bar, of a rotating head rotating about said draw-bar and consisting of a shell formed in halves, said halves being divided upon a plane parallel with the axis of said rotating head, and said rotating head being provided with a cam-surface arranged to engage said link-pin and raise the same, substantially as described. b

12. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, and a sliding link -pin held in said draw-bar, of a rotating head consistin g of a shell D, composed of halves united upon one side by interlocking lugs D D upon the opposite side by the lugs D and elastic clamping-pin D said rotating head being provided with a cam'surface by which said link-pin is raised, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, of a sliding T-shaped barheld in said draw-bar, by which the link is raised, a rotating head journaled upon said head and arranged to lift said sliding bar as the rotating head is revolved, and thereby raise the free end of the link, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with a draw-bar adapted to receive a link, of a sliding bar H, held in said draw-bar and arranged by its sliding motion to raise the free end of the link, a rotating head journaled upon said draw-bar, and pivoted pawl carried by said rotating head, said pawl being arranged when the head is rotated in one direction to raise said sliding bar andlift the free end of the link, and when the head is rotated in the opposite dilection arranged to pass said sliding bar Witl e out engaging the same, substantially as described.

PETER BREKKE.

Witnesses:

" RUFUS B. FOWLER,

P. LOBBEN. 

